Stop Visiting These Places: You're Ruining Them

These natural wonders and man-made marvels—overwhelmed by thousands if not millions of tourists per year—are being altered and eroded, some beyond repair.

Easter Island

The Draw: The Polynesian speck of an island, 2,200 miles west of Chile, is home to 887 colossal statues, or moai, chiseled out of volcanic rock—the largest is 30 feet tall and weighs over 70 tons.

Why you shouldn't go: More than 50,000 tourists, eleven times the number of residents, flock to this remote island—just 10 by 15 miles in size. Tourists can walk right up to and even climb the monuments, adding to the weather-caused erosion.

The Galapagos

The Draw: An archipelago of nineteen islands, it is home to many species that can be found nowhere else—including giant tortoises that live to 150 years and marine iguanas that can dive more than 30 feet in the water.

Why you shouldn't go: The number of tourists has more than doubled in the last ten years, leading to concerns about the endangered species.

Machu Picchu

The Draw: Atop an almost 8,000-foot peak, the 15th-century ruins that once made up this thriving "city in the clouds" provide a look into the historic industrious Incan civilization.

Why you shouldn't go: The many visitors to Machu Picchu have led to soil erosion and damage to the vegetation, resulting in the instatement of a cap on the number of daily visitors.

Angkor Archaeological Park

The Draw: The century-old religious site of the ancient Khmer Empire is one of the largest and most spectacular in the world. The main temple, Angkor Wat, is 500 square acres and surrounded by a three-mile moat.

Why you shouldn't go: The nearly 700,000 visitors per year have begun to wear away the statues, carvings, and even walls of one of the oldest temples—Phnom Bakheng.

The Great Wall of China

The Draw: Stretching through 11 provinces of China, the iconic Great Wall of China, studded with watchtowers and views of the surrounding countryside, is a must-see for most.

Why you shouldn't go: The 10 million yearly visitors to the Great Wall have covered sections in graffiti, stolen stones, and damaged some sections beyond repair.

The Old City of Jerusalem

The Draw: A holy city in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Jerusalem is home to 220 historic monuments, including the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall.

Why you shouldn't go: Jerusalem was placed on the UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 1982 partly due to the amount of tourists—in 2012 alone the city hosted 3.5 million travelers.

Petra

The Draw: A narrow half-mile gorge flanked by cliffs leads to the view of the "rose-red city" of Petra carved from a mountain range more than two thousand years ago.

Why you shouldn't go: The rise of visitors from 65,000 in 1986 to one million in 2010 has contributed to the erosion of the delicate red sandstone buildings and paths.